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JAVELIN Greenland style kayak

This is my new launch Cirrus Greenland style kayak - 17′ 2″, 43lbs — stitch and glue mahogany and ribbed poplar with cherry and Spanish cedar accents, blackened epoxy seams, strengthened with carbon fiber in high stress inner deck and hull areas, and has rare earth magnetically sealed hatches for a flush, uncluttered deck and (I think) more visual appeal of the natural lines of her hull. Seat is birch and carbon fiber and cockpit coaming is layered with biased carbon fiber and fiberglass.

She is quite fast!, has good rocker and secondary stability, and tracks very well. I am just beginning to enjoy this craft with our pleasant Southern Fall weather along the sleepy bayous and scenic marshes of deep South Louisiana. Soon we will be venturing across some open bays/chop a little farther out after a break in period (of the paddler!). First outing was on legendary Bayou Contraband (named by fable or truth that Jean Lafitte buried and hid loot here during his pirating days preceding the historic Battle of New Orleans fought partly on my family's original plantation home a little farther down the coast on Bayou Bienvenu, so pirate attire seemed appropriate for the Christening of the Fleet (and of course polishing off the unspilled wine was in order).

I estimate about 200 hours, roughly and another 6-7 hrs for the cupped bladed scratch paddle I fashioned — both work great together! In this picture I am posing with one of my two big brother boat builders — Dr Hal Bienvenu (aka 'the Boat Doc') who builds many scratch and custom pirogues through Bienvenu Boatworks. He and other brother-builder, Edward Bienvenu and myself participate annually in the growing Acadian Memorial Wooden Boat Festival that Edward initiated in historic St. Martinville, La five years ago which celebrates the Acadian/Canadian-French and preceding Spanish roots of many here in 'pirogue-land' including a reenactment and reference of Longfellow’s famous poem ‘Evangeline’. Passé Partout translates literally as “the master key” but is used colloquially to mean “travels all over.” Built by: Benjamin C. Bienvenu of St. Martinville/Broussard, Louisian.

Comments

This kayak is truly a piece of art. I was one of the fortunate ones who witnessed several stages of the building process of “Passé Partout”, in my brother’s workshop at his home in Broussard, Louisiana. Three of my brothers, Hal, Eddie & Ben and our father, Harold Bienvenu, Jr., are/were boat builders. I am so proud of Ben and happy that this addition to the “Bienvenu” fleet was shared with other wooden boat enthusiasts and highlighted in such a wonderful publication. Christina Bienvenu Dawson Port Allen/Baton Rouge, LA LSU’s GRITS (Louisiana State University’s Girl Raised In Tiger Stadium)